I know, I know, any respectable hunter will be focused on rutting bucks over the next couple of weeks, and the small game opener here in the great state of Ill will be a non issue for most. I’ll be in a tree stand myself, but also plan to take my 2 young sons out to try to find some ring necks and maybe a bunny or two this weekend. When I’m not feeding my hunting obsession, I farm for a living, and during this years harvest I kicked out quite a few more birds than the past couple years. Not like the glory years of long ago or South Dakota numbers by any stretch of the imagination, but did see some birds where they were almost nonexistent in the past. One corn field flushed about 35 birds, which I find pretty amazing considering it is in a marginal at best habitat area ( filter strips along a drainage ditch). Appears to have been a decent hatch, as the majority were young birds. Curious if anyone else observed the same. Nonetheless, if you have some habitat that you have access to but have given up on recently, this might be the year to give it another try. Good luck if you do!

that is great news! used to live for central illiinois pheasant hunting. Birds disappeared and took up bow hunting nearly twenty years ago. i might have to grab the dog and walk some old spots after a snow. thanks for the information.

Chased pheasants, quail and bunnies for many, many years. Loved it. Aside from waterfowling, still my favorite. I’d gladly trade all the deer and turkey in the Midwest to have the upland populations that I saw in the `50s & 60s, along with the untethered access of those days, ie. no leasing…just knock on a few doors and get permission.